Kehinde Fajobi
In a decisive action against crude oil theft, the Commandant General of the Special Intelligence Squad of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended five suspects and recovered 20,000 litres of stolen crude oil in Abia State.
The NSCDC announced the operation in a statement by its spokesperson, Afolabi Babawale, on Tuesday.
“The Commander of the CG Special Intelligence Squad, Commandant Appolos Dandaura, hinted that his men arrested five suspects and impounded about 20,000 litres of crude oil, which was earlier siphoned from an already vandalized pipeline along Umielechi/Izam Community in Abia State,” the statement read.
Dandaura explained that the successful operation stemmed from credible intelligence, leading to a midnight raid in the Umielechi/Izam community.
“We proceeded acting on the intelligence at our disposal, and in a midnight raid we arrested the five suspects with stolen crude oil carefully packed in cellophane bags,” he stated.
The statement detailed that the suspects, who attempted to escape on motorcycles, were apprehended in the Obuzor ASA area of Ukwa West, Abia State. The arrested individuals are: Danniel Augustine, 20; Moses Friday, 23; Igboshe Musua, 42; Sadiq Yunusa, 28; and Dozie Ugo, 33.
The items seized during the operation included the stolen crude oil and several motorcycles: two Dalong Super Wolf motorcycles, a Qlink 150-ES Electric Start motorcycle, and a Nasara Super D-S 150 motorcycle.
Dandaura reaffirmed the NSCDC’s commitment to the directive of Commandant General Dr. Ahmed Audi, who has declared zero tolerance for vandalism and crude oil theft.
“The Squad Commander said the corps is resolved to keep fighting vandals and oil thieves relentlessly as the corps is poised to protect all critical national assets and infrastructure in the nation,” the statement concluded.
Recall that in September, the NSCDC arrested seven suspects involved in illegal petroleum dealings in Woji, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State, seizing a barge and three boats filled with automotive gas oil.